Software Defined Automation GmbH operates in the industrial automation and manufacturing sectors, offering an integrated platform that applies software development practices to factory floor operations. The company's core proposition is treating the factory as code, enabling automation teams to manage programmable logic controller (PLC) projects across multiple vendors from a single environment.
The platform addresses several operational challenges in industrial settings. It automates backup and recovery processes for PLC projects, provides change tracking capabilities, and incorporates artificial intelligence to help engineers understand legacy automation code more quickly. These functions fall under the broader discipline of Industrial DevOps, which the company identifies as a key technical domain alongside OT security and secure remote access.
By consolidating PLC management, version control, and code analysis into one system, the company targets teams working with heterogeneous vendor environments - a common scenario in manufacturing, where production lines often incorporate controllers and systems from multiple suppliers. The AI-assisted legacy code understanding feature is designed to reduce the time engineers spend deciphering older automation programmes, which are frequently poorly documented.
